Panic or Pray?

An update on our situation during Thailand’s worst flooding crisis in 50 years.
20 to 50 cm (8 to 20 inches)

That is the estimate of one “expert” on the depth of flood water we could expect in a worst case scenario in our part of Bangkok.  And given what we have seen so far, the “worst case” seems to be the most likely.

Despite all of the attempts to keep it out of central Bangkok, the water still wants to come.  One after another sandbag barrier or levee has failed. (The number of millions of sandbags that has been put up staggers the imagination.)   Even an evacuation shelter had to be evacuated.

The physical damage has been great.  About 300 lives lost. So far over 700,000 people suffering from water borne diseases.  For many farmers, the years crop is lost.  In Ayutthaya Province alone (about an hour north of Bangkok), over 900,000 jobs are temporarily or permanently lost with the failure of flood barriers in several industrial estates.  (Many employers are promising partial salaries at some level while the factories are shut down.)

The emotional damage has been even greater.  Many poor people have lost everything they have, leading to a number of “flood-related suicides”.

Squabbling and lack of cooperation among different government agencies has exacerbated the situation.    The inconsistent messages from different agencies increase the level of panic. Grocery stores, particularly those frequented by foreigners, are bereft of bottled water, bread, cereal and canned goods.

Ethical issues arise.  Some barriers put up to protect Bangkok have been torn down by residents of some areas because they cause the floods will be deeper and longer-lived in their areas.  Is this the rich profiting at the expense of the poor?  Or is it just trying to reduce the overall economic damage because flooding in central Bangkok would have a greater detrimental effect on the entire  economy of Thailand?  And what does it mean for me if I stay dry at the expense of someone else?  (If they had just let the water come would the damage the damage have been less severe and less prolonged though more widespread?  Some people think this way.  Click here.)

Any Good News?
Government schools were on mid-year break already and the government has extended that break until at least the end of the month for the city of Bangkok.  Many students have been volunteering at relief centers.  The city water supply was briefly compromised in the pre-treatment stage, but so far they are keeping the murky, polluted water out of that part of the system.

Fortunately there has not been a lot of rain.  Though the flood water are from up north, rain puts a stress on the city’s drainage system and also makes life more difficult for those who are currently homeless.

How about  us?
It is ironic that we were in Chonburi for the weekend, and we came back on Sunday even as many people were fleeing there from Bangkok to escape the floods.  They, too, are now experiencing a lack of some supplies and apparently the hotels are all at full capacity.

So far our part of Bangkok is dry.  For us, personally, we are on the 22nd floor of a building the BOTTOM of which is already probably well above highest expected flood levels.  (Though the pumps that pump the city water to the cisterns on the roof are at the lowest point in the building, even below the first floor.)

We have several days of drinking water stored up and some basic foods as well.  We might be inconvenienced if water or electricity are cut off—which could be a major issue if it is for an extended period.

Though the government has declared a holiday for all government offices through the 31st, our school will continue to meet unless the flood waters actually come.  If the waters do come, we have no idea how long things will be affected for.

Since many grocery stores are out of stuff, we have been forced to explore new places to buy things.  This has led to meeting new people and even finding less expensive sources for some things.  We even found a bakery where we can buy fresh bread.  And all of this within a mile of our place!

At one store, the owner wanted his two teenage daughters to deal with the foreigner since they knew some English.  Neither wanted to do so,  which led to a brief war of the wills as they decided amongst themselves who would do it.  There was a great sense of relief and some laughter when I  announced I could speak Thai.

There is a small convenience store on the first floor of our building.  The guy who runs it is amazing.  It is the best stocked store anywhere around!  Though it is only about the size of our bedroom, they have an amazing supply of things.  Even bottled water!  (There is one fellow in our class who says he cannot find drinking water anywhere near where he lives.)

I’m a little annoyed that our better computer is dead at a time when I really don’t want to leave it at a repair shop since I have no idea when it might get looked at or when I might get back to it.

The Waiting Game
One thing we have learned over the years is how to cope with waiting and uncertainty (though we still haven’t mastered either of these subjects—it would be easier, mentally, if the water just came and got its flooding over with).  We are in good spirits.  We are able to find humor in some of the stuff happening around us and we can marvel at how people can pull together at the time of crisis.
We try to stay content, whatever comes our way, and we are confident that God is with us.
 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  (Hebrews 13:5, NIV)

And by the way, I have decided to NOT go after the $33 bounty that the government is giving for the capture of crocodiles that have escaped from flooded crocodile farms.  I figure my arms and legs are more useful than the money.

Pictures from our neighborhood: sandbags and floodwalls